Spring-needle knitting-machine.



F. WILCOMB.

SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 9. I9I5. IIEIIEwED MAR. 2I. I9I7.

1,244,674. mente.. 0.1.-. 30,1914

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ommr/awofcyan/ofa nim/fz jsi.' Inventor,

En E PVzJZcom f ab Aizgy,

F. WILCGMB. SPRING NEE-DLE KNITTING MACHINE. APPLlcATIoN msn 11111.91. 1915. Riniwzo M1111. 21, 1911.

Patented om. 30,1911.

4 SHEETS*SHEET 2 Macaw F. WILCOMB.

SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION msn JAN. 9. rens. RENEwEn MAR. 2|

Patented Oct. 30,1917.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

@MQW

Alfani Macaw F. WILCOMB.

SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE.`

APPLICATION FILED 1mg, lens. RENEwEu MAH. 2|. |9l7.

Patented Oct. 30, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

milf]f FRANK WILCOMB, F NOBRIS'IO'WN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO HEINIIIEIEIIIII4 MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F CENT 'rIoN or RHODE ISLAND.

RAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORA- SPRING-NEEDLE KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specication -of Letters Patent.

` Application led January 9,

To `all'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK Wincor/1B, citi- Azen of the United States, residing at Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring- Needle Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.'

tary

"presser bits being retired;

` My lnvention relates in the main to spring e needle stockin knitting machines, in which Fig. 2 shows the needle partl retracted; Fig. 3 shows the pressing o the needle beards;

Fig 4 shows the measuring of the new loops .across the tops of the web holders l prevlous to drawing into the fabric;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the web holders retracted and the measured of yarn holder or loops ready to be drawn into the fabric;

Fig. 5 shows drawing the measured new loop into the fabric; f Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view looking from inside the needle row outwardly showing the measuring off of the new loops previous to being drawn into the fabric;

Fig. 7 is a view showing how the inoperative needles are utilized to prevent the surplus yarn from being caught under the nib of the web holder in reversing the direction of rotationof the machine in making heels and toes;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the knitting head;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view ofI the knitting head;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a modified form feeder ring and the beard pressers;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view ofFig. 10;

Fig. 12 1s asectonal view of a modified Patented oet. 3o, 191 '7.

1915, Serial No. 1,386. Renewed March -21, 1917. Serial No. 158,454.

form ofthe yarn holder or feeder and beard presser showing inserted feeder teeth or projections;

Fig. 13 is a further sectional view taken through the solid part of the ring of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a view of the web holder outthrow\ cam; i

Fig. 15 is a developed view of the cams for the needles and web holders. In Letters Patent of the United States granted to me September 16,1914, #1073309, I disclose sinkers for feeding the yarn to the needles in the ordinary way, and web holdvers having nibs across the tops of which the loops measured off by the sinkers. are evened up before being drawn into' the fabric. In machines built in accordance with said patent the sinker formed stitches as they drop from the sinker ends lose their shape to some extent while passing down across the space, occupied by the pressing and needle evening means, tothe web holders, and these distorted loops are leveled or evlened up across the tops of the web holder nr s. Y i

In my present` invention the measuring olf ofthe loops previous to being drawn into the fabric is accomplished by the conjoint action of the needles and Web holders, the sinkers being omitted and the feeding of the `yarn-being done directly to the needles and across `the. tops of the web holder nibs which perform the precise function of the sinkers,

ent in so far that a series o newloops are completely measured off previousto drawing the newly formed loops into the body of the fabric.

So far as the feeding of the yarn to spring bearded needles is concerned, it may be pointed out that when sinkers are employed the yarn is sunk between the needles below the Ebeards and held' taut across the stems while the needles are being retracted until the beard is below the line of the sunken taut loops, thus insuring that the needle takes the yarn Without splitting it.

needles andweb holders of m previous paty When latch needles are employed, the i latches inffc'losing throw the yarn under thel hooks of the needles, and no other provision is needed to insure the taking of the yarn by the hooks.

It is true that spring 'beard needles may be supplied with yarn direct, i. e.,` without sinkers, and each needle draw its own loop directly .into the fabric, without previous measuring, inthe same manner as with latch needles, but in this case the loop formation is open to the objections of latch needle knitting and the fabric produced is not equal in quality or appearance to true spring needle knitting where each new loop is measured in advance of casting oli' the old loop, and is drawn into the fabric without rendering from needle to needle.

By my invention, while sinkers are not employed, but direct feeding of the needles is used instead, I am still able to get the results of true spring needle knitting in that each loop side is equal in'length to all others, and the measured loop, when drawn into the fabric, is precisely the same in form and relation to other loops as in true spring needle knitting where sinkers are employed, and in which rendering of the yarn from needle to needle is avoided while drawing the new formed loops into the fabric.

The difficulty of feeding successfully indcpendently operated spring needles direct is fully appreciated by knitters, and various suggestions have been made to 'meet the difiiculties, an example of which is illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States granted to Clay, 40993 of 1862; J.l

Hellen, 11,995, November 28, 1854; 25,827, October 18 1859, and the feeder 14 shown in patent of Fowler,` 13,165, July 3, 1855, and also the patent to Crane, 1,027 ,034, May 21, 1912, it being understood that independently operated direct fed spring needles wereold and common prior to the use of latch needles and later.

In my present machine where the bearded needles are fed direct, I employ stationary means outside` the needle row to hold the yarn, or feed it close against the needle stem withoutv sinking it between the needles so that the needle beards will be sure to sieze it on their downward travel, and for this purpose I employ a ring of fixed pro'- j ections or teeth exterior to the needle circle, these being located close to and alternating in position with relation to the needle stems but allowing the yarn to run freely between their inner ends and the said stems, the spaces between the teeth being deep enough to allow the needle beards to travel through in their up and down movement without pressing the beards. AIn the spaces between these teeth are pressing means which may be either movable or fixed, in the latter casea presser device being used within the vneedle row to force the needles outwardly yat the pressing point against the external presser means to close the beard in the same manner as in the vsolid ring presser shown in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me July 18, 1899, #$629,116.V p

The spring beard needles slide vertically in grooves in the. c linder, being operated by cams in the usualrway, The sliding web holders 1 are provided each with an upper nib or barb and a lower nose with a throat between them, as is usual.

The external yarn feeding or holding teeth for holding the yarn against the` needle stems may be of various forms and arrangement, but in Figs. 8, 10 and 11 I show them as formed with a rin a, the

teeth being shown'at b, and while t is ring a is shown as solid in Figs. 10 and 11 with the internal yarn feeding or holding' teethy formed integrally therewith, the teeth may beI inserted in radial grooves .in the l ring as at b', Figs. 8, 12 and 13, being held stationary in any suitable way or as shown in. Figs. 12 and 13 by butts c on. the outer ends of the tooth members entering a groove at c', and these bits or teeth may be of hardened steel.

In my application 831,797, April 14, 1914,.

I haveshown a ring of similar construeu tion, and for a similar purpose, the radial grooves therein, however, holding three punchings or bits, two serving as feeders or holders for the yarn and one serving as a pressenthese bits having movement, though as indicated in said application o-ne or moreA holders may be used for each needle. In my present invention I avoid the use-of the sliding yarn feeders or holders, together toms of the spaces between the teeth against which the beard contacts for pressing as the needle recedes, or I may use radially slidingl pressers d shownfin Figs. 1 to 8.

i lVhen the fixed form of external presser is employed,a device is used within the needle row for deflecting the needle outwardly at the pressing point to press the beard and-make it pass through the old loop. This inner presser device may assume various forms, but inthe particular con-` struction shown it consists of a cam-.shaped member e, Fig. 10which is mounted lonthe clearer plate f within the needle row. `This clearer plate isA shown .diagrammatically, and may be combined as usual withV clampg' ing means for'thd'yarns which are out of action, and suitable cutting means for these yarns may be employed. v.These d evices may'be o f anyssuitable construction.f`

In some instances, as abovestated, 'it is los the surfaces c,'Figs. 10 and 11, at the botdesirable to have movableJ pI'QSsersso. that Y tuck presser Wheels mayfbe @employed iso Such pressers may be of-various forms, but

I show them as sliding bits d,-Figs. 1 to 5 vand Fig. 8, arranged between the teeth or projections b which feed or hold the yarn close to the stem of the needle; the presser wheel is shown at h, Fig. 8', working against the heels of the sliding pressers. When these sliding pressers are used with the external presser wheel or the external camshaped presser 71,', Fig. 8, there may be employed within the needle row at the pressing point an evener e', Fig. 8, which will even up any needles Awhich may become bent, and will also act to sustain the thrust of the movable presser.

The means for directing the yarn to the knitting elements includes a feed mouth 8 having walls or edges 9 which are closeto the needle stems, and inclining upwardly and outwardly, said Walls or edges also diverging downwardly from each other, and between these edges at their lower ends a .rest 10 for the yarn extends in close proximity to the needle stems, the inclined edges serving to direct the yarn with certainty well under the needle beards when elevated to take the yarn and against the stems, and

in respect to the yarn holdin or feeding teeth or projections the rest 1s located as close as possible thereto so that the yarn will be delivered between the inner ends of these teeth and the needles, the inner ends or faces of the said projections being so close tothe needles that the yarn extending across these inner faces will be fed` or held thereby `close against the needle stems, so'that as I' the needle retracts to take the yarn -the l needle beard will be buried between the feeder teeth so that the beard can not split the `yarn or seize knots or bunches, which ordinarily would tend t`o obstruct the free passage of the needle beard to grasp the yarn.

By feeding lthe yarn down low with the feed mouth 8, the object is to position it in y the crevice between the inner end of the feeder projection b or b as the case may be, and the stem of theneedle.

Itfwill be understood that inround and round knitting only one of the inclined yarn guide edges 9 is in service, while in reciprocating knitting for making heels and toes both inclined edges 9 are utilized, the yarn being directed to the right or left and being guided by one edge or the other in accordance with the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder.

Knitting operation.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, the knitting lagainst the stems-of the elevatedi needles.`

Fig. 2 shows the parts in the san-1e position,

passed part way downthrough the space between the feeder teeth or projections and over the yarn as held by the innerfaces of the feeder projections against the stem. In Fig. 3 the needle has receded to the pointv where pressing is done. This pressing may be done" as above statedl by the movable presser bit d closingl the beard, 'or if the presser ring is used without movable presser bits the needlel is deflected outwardly by the presser device e inside the needle row, and the needle beard is closed by being forced into contact with the solid ri g at the pressing surface d in about the ame manner as shown in my Patent 629,11 of 1899, the important difference existing, however, that in my present improvement the yarn is held by the feeder projections against the stems while the beards bury themselves in the spaces between the teeth and outside the fed yarn.- These Figs` 1 tov 6, however, show .the use of sliding presser bits, which are moved inwardly by the presser wheel h of Fig. 8.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the web holders remain in their advanced positions. Y

Figs. 4e and 6 illustrate the measuring of the new loop lengths across the tops of the web holders, which is the next step in my improved knitting operation.

After the pressing action takes place, the continued downward movement of the needle will measure off, the new loopsv over the tops of `the web holder nibs, which web holders remain in their advanced positions. This measuring is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, it being observed that the measuring is a distinct operationf'rom and takes place previous to the action of drawing the new loops through the old.

A number of needles are shown in Fig. 6 in their position for measuring `the new loops across the nibs of the web holders. By this I insure the maintenance of the loop lengths, as measured, until they are ldrawn successively into the fabric, because a resistance is interposed between the loop which is being drawn into the fabric and the thread delivery point, this resistance being due to the fact that a number of loop lengths remain across the tops of the web holders and remain grasped by a plurality ofA needles which have retracted below the `tops/ofthe web holders. This resistance preventsthe drag on the yarn coming from the yarn feed mouth from exerting its force upon andlstraightening out the loop length which is being drawn into the fabric. After the measuring action, the web holders are `retracted from the position of Fig. 4 J to that of Figs. 4 and 5','thus withdrawing-them from they/'measured loops which are then drawn down into the fabric by the further retraction of the needle as illustrated inthe last named figure, and at theleftof Fig. 6.

Following the drawing of the new loops intol the fabric the web holders are advanced to knock ever the old loop and hold the fabric against rising with the advancing needles when these are raised again, ,as shown in Fig. 1. This completes the cycle of knitting y operations.

vleferringto the presser' bits having their i stems extending radially from their nose ends to their butts. and slidable in a radially grooved bed, it will be seen that this arrangement renders readilypossible to employ a presser device made up of an ordiing presser bits is that the heels or butt ends are widely separated, being at a larger diamy eter than the needles, and a cam plate operating against the heels will have a much lower angle than ifl located nearer the needle circle, thus adding to tliejeffectiveness and life of the parts.

The web holder bed 16 is supported on the needle cylinder, being held by the screw V17,

Fig. 9, in the usual way. The"'web holders slide in grooves in this bed, and in grooves in the top of the needle cylinder or in a ring 18 fixed thereto. The web holders, therefore,act as driving dogs'to impart the rotary movement of the needle cylinder to the yarn feeder and presser ring or bed, the underside of the feeder and presser bed or ringpbeing grooved at so to receive the web holders which slide therein.

Thesebeds for the web holder and presser bits rotate within an outer ring 19 which is fixed to a standard 2.0 by the screw 21, Fig. 9. This outer ring has attached thereto the push cams 22, 22, FigfS, for advancing the web holders inwardly to the position for knocking off the old loops and engaging the fabric `to hold it' against rising with the needles. VThese cams consist of arms pivot- I ally mounted foradjustment at 23 to the outer cam ring. The push cams will be held `in any adjusted position by the set or pinch screw 24:. ,l j

' Theinner cam ring 25 for the web holders hasthe outthrow cams 26, Figs. 8 and 14, for retracting the web holders as shown in fFig. 5. to permit the new loops which have been measured oif to be drawn into the fabric. This inner cam ring 1s held or con- ,trolled as to its circumferential position by a pin 27, 4Figs.9 and 14, on the inner cam ring engaging an opening 28 in the ixed .outer cam ring 19 The cam ring 4 for the presser bits overlies the said bits, and is secured in any suitable way to the outer cam ring 19.

The advantage of my two-part construction of webholder cam ring lies mainly in the convenience of assembling or dismantling lthis part of the machine. Ordinarily it requires care and time `to Lmake the `web holder butts aline with their'cam path when this is formed on the underside of-a single cam ring. This objectionis overcome with my construction as theinner cam ring with its cams is simply dropped into'` place on top of the web holder bed and withinthe circle of the web holder butts, and these butts are then pushed up against the cam,

thus making them assume proper positions to aline with the cams of the outer cam ring which may then be readily placed in position.

lli/'hen the heel and toe pockets are made the instep yneedles are made inoperative in an elevated position higher than the 'highest position of the needles in knitting, which is ordinary practice, and during narrowing additional needles are elevated by picking in the ordinary way. As the cylinder reciprocates for narrowing and widening, the yarn extending from the last needle in knitting to the thread carrier or mouthpiece must be taken up by a take-up sweep in the ordinary way. As the yarn lies so low, it is liable to drop below the webv holder nibs when the web holders retract to permit new loops to be drawn into the fabric, and as the web holders then advance to knock over loops and engage the fabric these strands of yarn would be caught in the throats of thev web holders, preventing the take-up sweeps from taking up this s urplus yarn on the opposite reciprocation of the cylinder unless means are provided to prevent it.

My means consists of an interiorly ar ranged pair of push plates 30, Figs. 7 and 8, situated adjacent to the web holder retracting cams, but nearly in radial alinement with the withdrawal part 26, Fig. 8, of the web holder cam. This push plate does not come in contact with any of the needlesin knitting, as4 the operative needles are retracted below the plane of these push plates, but all the elevated inoperative instep needles are pushed out of their vertical plane and force the strand of yarn onto the nib of the web holders as they`pass this point, as shown in Fig. 7, and efi'ectually prevent the yarn being drawn below the nibs and into the throats of the web holders. Thus a free take-up of the yarn is permitted on the'return stroke of the knitting. These two push plates are radially adjustable, inside the needle row, and are also adjustable c ircumferentially.

Fig. 7 illustrates the action just described, the elevated inoperative needle being shown amen in: full lines pushed out from the normal needle circle indicated by the needle shown in dotted lines, and it will be seen that the yarn running from the mouth piece 8 to the last needle in knitting-see the retracted or lowered needle-will be held by the delectedinoperative needle on top of the web holder nib so'that as the cylinder reverses its stroke this yarn can be taken up by the take-up sweep, whichv it could not do had the yarn lodged beneath the nib and in the throat of the web holder. I

From Fig. 15 it will be'seen that the needle cams comprise a loop measuring cam 31 and a stitch cam 32, and the relation of these cams to the web holder cam path and particularly the retracting cam 26 will be clear from this developed view of these cams.

As in my Patent No. 1,131,583, March 9,

1915, the two stitch cams may have, during' 'lebe instep cam for malng onejxset of needles inoperative in an elevated -plane is indicated at 33, Fig. 15.v Beard pressing means other than the kind described and `shown-'herein can be used with the yarn feeding-and holding projections, and I do not limit myself in this respect.

Some of the Vsubject matter disclosed herein but not claimed will be embodied in a divisional application.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination in a s ring needle knitting machine, independent y operated spring beard' needles, means for feeding the yarn directly to the needle stems comprising yarn delivery7 means and a support having a row of stat1onary yarn feed projections outside the needle row to hold the yarn against the needle stems below the beards without sinking the yarn between the needles, said yarn spaces Vbetween them feed projections having th d1 b d t e nee e ear s o for the free passage o grasp the yarn, and beard pressing means,

substantially as described.

2. In combination in a spring needle knitting` machine, independently operated spring beard needles, means for feeding the yarn directly to the needle stems comprising yarn delivery means and a support having a row of stationary yarn feed projections outside the needle row to hold the yarn a ainst the needle stems below the beards wit out sinkeeseri'bea ing the yarn between the needles, said yarn feed projections havin s aces between them for the free passage o? the needle beards to grasp the yarn, and beard pressers in said spaces, substantially as described.

3. In combination in a circular spring needle knitting machine, independently operated spring beard needleameans for feeding yarn directly to the needle stems comprising yarn delivery means and a circular row of stationary yarn holding or feeding projections outside the needle row tohold theyarn against the stems below the beards without sinking the yarn between the needles, said yarn feed projections having spaces between them for the free passage of the needle beards to grasp the yarn, and beard pressing means, substantially as described.

4. In combination in a circular spring needle knitting machine, independently operated spring beard needles, means for feeding the yarn directly tothe needles comprising yarndelivery means and a ring having a circle ofv arn feed projections fixed outside the need e row to hold the yarn close to the needle stems below their beards without sinking the yarn l between the needles, said rojections havin s aces between them for' t e free passage 0% t ie needle beards to grasp the gern' and beard pressers external to the nee lecirclearranged insaid s aces between said projections, substantial y as 5. In combinationin a spring needle knitting machine, independently operated spring beard needles, means for feeding the yarn ldirectly to the stems thereof comprising yarn delivery means and a fring having a row of yarn feed projections to hold the yarn close to the needle stems and below the beards without sinking the yarn between the needles, and with the spaces between the projections for the free passage ofthe needle beards to grasp the yarn, beard pressers external to the needle circle movably mountd in said spaces between said projections, and means for operating said beard pressers, substantially as described.

6. In combinationv in a s ring needle knittingvmachine, independent y operated spring beard needles, a ring surrounding the same having fixed projections to hold the yarn l close to the need e stems below the beards and with spaces between them to receive the needle beards, a yarn guide havin a yarn support or ledge close to the nee le stems and close to the top edges of the said projections for directing the yarn between the inner faces of said projections and the needle stems, and presser means for the needle beards, Y substantially 'as described.

7. In combination in a Spring needle .stocking knitting machine, a rotary needle. d

cylinder, independently operated springrees beard needles, a ringvsurroundin 4thesame having fixed pro]ectins to hol the yarn close to the needle stems and with spaces between them to recei-ve the needle beards, a yarn guiding mouth havin downwardly diverging uit ing edges witi a yarn supporting le ge at the lower ends thereof close .to the needle stems and to the tops of the said projections for directing the yarn across the inner faces of said projections and against the needle stem, and pressing means, substantially as described.

8. In combination in a circular knitting machine, individually operated spring beard needles, a row of fixed teeth or proJections outside the needle row in line with the spaces between the needles, means Jfor feeding the yarn directly across the inner faces of the said projections without sinking the yarn between the needles, pressing means on the 4outside of the needle row ad]acent said fixed teeth, said spaces receiving the beards of the descending needles in taking the yarn and in pressing, and means within the needle lrow to bear on tially as described.

9. In combination in a circular knitting machine, independentlyT j-eperated spring heard needles, an outer row of projections Copies of thin patent may be obtained for the needle stems, substani ve cents each, Walhintcn, D. 0.

in line radially with the spaces between the needles, means .for delivering the yarn across the inner faces of the projections and against the needle stems, presser means, web holders individually operated, and means for operating the needles to first measure off the new loop lengths across the tops of and between the advanced web holders without drawing the new loops into the fabric and then retracting the web holders and drawing said measured new loops into the fabric by the further movement of the needles, substantially as described.

10. In combination spring beardneedles, a ring surrounding the needle row having inserted projections fixed thereto and extending close to the needle stems to feed the yarn onto said stems below lhe beards without sinking the yarn between the needles, and with spaces between said fixed projeetions to receive the needle beards in taking the yarn, and pressing means external to the needle row, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of twov witnesses,

FRANK WILCOMB.

Witnesses:

WALTER DoNALDsoN, BnNNn'rr S. JONES.

by addressing the "Commissioner ef'latentl. 

